There was a breakfast that Mia had prepared for us next to the kitchen, so we ate it and waited for the water in the pot to boil.
　In order to take a bath in this house, you have to fill the bath tub with water that has been boiled in a small pot.
　I could have just wiped my body with a cloth wet with hot water, but today I felt like taking a dip in the water.
　By the way, according to the note, Mia can't keep her hands off today to help Makina-san prepare for her trip to the castle.

　I carried the water in the skillet to the bath tub every time the water boiled a few times, and after finishing breakfast, I headed for the bath.

　When I got out of the bath, I wiped my wet hair and body with a cloth, and changed into my laundered uniform.
　You can put your laundry in the basket in the changing room and Mia-san will wash it for you, but she's really been there for you, taking care of everything.
　There were times when I refused to do it because I would do it myself, but Mia-san said, 'Please let me at least do this! And I didn't back down.
　I should probably thank her in some way sooner or later.

　Hmmm.
　How about a gift of ornaments?
　However, the only money I have right now is the remainder of the silver that Machina-san gave me.
　If I had picked up even a few pieces of the crystals that fell in large numbers during the Blue Goblin battle, I would have made a decent amount of money, but unfortunately I was so desperate to survive that I didn't have time to pick up any crystals.
　Currier-san told me to leave it to him, but there's also the money to repair the crystal blade sword.......
　I also have money to return to Makina-san.
　That's why I hope we can resume our attack on the Holy Ruins as soon as possible.

''Just in case, we do have our weapons.

　I thought of the 'Demon Eater' that I have tucked away in my wardrobe in my room.
　Well, I'll have to talk to Currier-san first before I use that sword.
　I still don't know exactly what kind of thing it is.

　Then I relaxed until a reasonable time, and then I left the house.

　　　　　　　　　　*.

　It was more cloudy than when I left Makina-san.
　Would it be cloudy today?
　Or is it raining?
　It was cool enough to not feel cold outside.
　The leaves of the trees were rustling in the wind.

'Good morning,'
Uh, good morning.

　I met up with Currier in front of the girls' quarters.

'Well, shall we go then?'
Yeah.

　He begins to walk from either side.
　.....
　If you think about it, this is a situation I've seen in my dream of 'going to school with a girl'.
　The last time I remember going to school with a girl was when I was in elementary school, I think.
　But there were no girls close to me in the group, so I barely spoke, just followed behind at a distance.
　It was too far away and too sad a memory.

'Why are you suddenly so depressed when you thought you were happy?
'I don't know whether to chew on the joy or the sorrow,'
What?
It's Eastern obscure literature.
What did you say?
No, Mr. Currier.
Hmm?

　I'm careful not to get too heavy-handed.

'Miss Cecily are you coming?'
I don't know.

　He walks in silence for a bit.

'Well, I don't think I'll ever mind what that idiot says.

　Currier-san chimed in.

''But, Cecily-san, it seems that one of our goals was to beat the people of the Sixth House.
'Uh ... the last time you got into an argument with me, you said something like 'this is a good opportunity'.
That must have been a shock to you because when it came time to fight, you couldn't stand up to it.

　The guy, though.

It's the hibigami.

　It seems that Marie Curie felt the same way.
　Yeah.
　There's something different about that man.
　I can't find the right word for it, but it's just different in strength.

''Hibigami, you know, is special even in the Sixth House.

　It's special among the 6th Inns, huh?

It's a good thing that you're able to get the best out of the 6th House in terms of 'pure individual combat ability' since then. I don't know how close the other guys are to Hibigami now, though.
'Was Hibigami always so strong?'
Yeah. So you don't have to feel down about losing to that guy. His strength is unique among all of us.

　Well......
　Let's keep this in mind for a moment.
　For when I talk to Cecily-san.

''Um........Hibigami is stronger than Currier-san, right?
Strong.
I'm going to make my point loud and clear.
I told you. That guy is an anomaly. But that guy doesn't kill people from the 6th House. At least, not for now.

　The reason for this was understandable from their exchange.
　Apparently, Hibigami was expecting the people of the Sixth House to become his future nemesis.

'Was it because Currier-san avoided having relationships with people because it would attract Hibigami?
Well, in the first place. I'm sure you'll be able to find a good reason to work with him, because he involves the people around him to create a reason to work with him. If they don't see the 'seriousness' of the person they are dealing with, they will try to create a 'motive' forcing them to do so.

　--Why don't I just make up a reason for my murderous intentions here?

　The image of Hibigami holding the blade to Zeke's neck came to mind.
　But at that time, Cecily-san wanted to be 'serious' herself.
　That's why Hibigami didn't have to create a 'motive' to do so... and as a result, her level of seriousness could be considered to have saved Zeke.

''Oh, and...''

　Currier-san cut him off.

''I'm going to tell you the purpose of my being in this academy... what do you want to do?''
'What?　Me?　Are you sure it's that simple...?
You're an idiot. It's you.
"--

　Ugh.
　It's a bit embarrassing to be told so bluntly like that.
　............
　Currier-san, in a manner, said, 'What do you think? I guess he asked, fearing that I'd be in danger of knowing too much.

'If it's me, don't worry about it. We're partners. I want to know everything about you, Currier-san.
What?　Everything?　You ... you don't want to know all the weird stuff, do you?

　Currier-san hides her chest with a wary look on her face.

''Eh--no, it's not!

　Currier lifts the corner of his mouth with a look like, "Just as planned," he says.

'Just kidding,'
..........

　It's hard to understand.
　Currier's jokes are hard to understand because the air is so seamless!

Well, okay I'll tell you. Just so you know, it's not about my body, okay?
I know what I'm doing!
The only reason I came to the school is to find a girl.
Is he in the sixth house too?
Her name is Noyes Dees. By the way, her play name is Intangible Games.
A play name?
'When we were in the Sixth House, we used to play around with names that meant 'worst' to each other,'

　It's like a nickname.
　..........
　Ah, come to think of it.
　Currier-san called Hibigami 'Kekigami' and Hibigami called Currier-san by an unfamiliar name.

''Was it 'Silver Maiden' as I recall?
Uh, yeah...

　Currier-san drops the tone of her voice as if she is a little embarrassed.

''It's nothing when it's said by the guys in the Sixth House, but when it's said by other people, it's surprisingly embarrassing....................Oh, it's not like I'm a maiden.
Are you embarrassed?
Shut up. I'm not a damsel.
You're embarrassed, aren't you?
I'm embarrassed you're embarrassed.
'So you admit that part...'

　Isn't she a solid maiden, I thought to myself.
　At the same time, I wondered if the stinginess she radiated when we first met was just a mask.　It makes me think.
　She's probably lost a lot of money by being inhospitable, hasn't she?
　Even though she has such a lovely side to her.
　Oh really," said Currier, reasserting himself.

'Anyway. I got word that that noise is in this school and I came here.
Does that mean you're looking for the person who usually disappears when they say they're on an errand?
Yeah. Well, I mean, he's not going to be able to get his head out of his ass so easily.

　Anyway.........you told me so easily.
　Does this mean that we've become such a trustworthy relationship?
　If that's the case, I'm glad to hear it.

You'll have to wait and see. I'll tell you about the noise, when it's happening. But for now, let's just hope that Cecily can get back on her feet soon. If she's not the same, I'm not going to be able to compete.
You're worried about it.
Well. It's like it's my fault.

　He seems to have a lot of remorse.
　But there is no need for Currier-san to feel responsible.

'It's not Currier-san's fault. It's Hibigami's fault no matter how you look at it.'
'I don't know...'
I think so.

　The main building of the school is now in sight.

I'm surprised at you, though. I didn't expect him to like me that much after a pretty good match with Hibigami. It's not very likely that he'll let go of the Demon Eater, is it?
Isn't it because of the curse?
'I didn't see it that way I just thought 'just look at me' was a bit much.
I have no remorse. I'll take down Hibigami myself.
Hmm, you must be feeling pretty confident.
The master of the sword is very good.
Mm.... you're a good one. Then I'm not going to go easy on you in combat class today, okay?
I hope so.

　When we arrived at the elevation, we headed for the classroom.
　We entered the classroom.
　There was no sign of Cecily.
　Zeke and Hyrgis-san's seats were also empty.

　And even when it was time for the time report, Cecily didn't show up.

　　　　　　　　　　*

　In the time leading up to the start of the report of the climb, my classmates asked me repeatedly about yesterday.
　And they were all talking to me, not to Mr. Currier.

　On the way to class, Currier-san told me that the biggest disadvantage of claiming to be from the Sixth Estate was Hibigami.
　Then it's not much of a disadvantage to be exposed now.
　The person called Noyes already knows that he is here (although I find it a bit creepy that Noyes is still in hiding).
　Even so, Currier-san is still building a wall against his fellow students.

　But I didn't say anything in particular.
　What to do with that wall is a matter for Currier-san to decide on her own.
　I'm not sure I've stepped into that area yet.

　I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.

　By the way, Ira and Asaro didn't show up even though it was time for the time report.
　According to the instructor, both of them are in the middle of capturing the Holy Ruins.

　Next, I reported on yesterday's incident.
　Me and Currier-san's names weren't mentioned, but all the students in the Lion's Club already knew that we were the ones involved.

　Finally, we were told that there was an incident where a boy's school uniform was stolen by someone.
　The culprit is still unknown, apparently.
　Some of the girls'

Oh, no!
I don't know.

　And something about it makes me feel s*xy.
　Hearing the whispers, it seems that the uniform of a handsome man has been stolen.
　Stealing a handsome boy's uniform........
　Hmmm.
　Is it just a hentai, or was there another reason.......
　The school is currently investigating this one.
　By the way, the handsome guy who was stolen seems to have fallen asleep due to the shock.

　In the meantime, we finished the next culture class and moved on to the combat class.
　As usual, Curie-san and I moved on to the battlefield while I heckled Isabella, who was curious about yesterday's incident.
　In the middle of the discussion, Currier-san expressed her surprise.

''Is this a hibigami taiji?''
What?
''My swordsmanship is intermingled with your opponent's swordsmanship....
''Um ... it seems to be so. As Hibigami said, it might be the effect of a forbidden curse.
..........
Currier, Mr.?

　Currier-san has a very subtle expression on her face as she becomes a threadbare.

''It's like crossing swords with Hibigami, which is kind of bad.
What?
I'm calling it a day. If I f*ck with you one more time, I'm afraid you won't like it.
Oh, my goodness!

　What a surprise, we discussed a few things in the future.

　For now, the capture of the Holy Ruins itself can be resumed.
　The reason for this is that my weapons are on the horizon.
　However, it was also decided that we will continue to look at the Holy Ruins for a while longer.

　The period of time to continue to look at the situation is until the repair of the crystal-blade sword is completed.

　According to the explanation I received from Currier-san once again, the Demon Eater, the demon sword, absorbs a large amount of holy elements in the surrounding area, which severely inhibits the activation of the jutsu.

''Aside from me, if we were to fight together with other attack teams, it would be difficult to use the 'Demon Eater'. So you should still fix that sword.

　That was Currier's conclusion.
　It was a conclusion based on the idea of fighting together with other attack teams other than the two of us.
　Perhaps the experience of fighting with Cecily and the others led to that conclusion.

　I also thought about using the holy magic sword I got from the Blue Goblin battle.
　However, it seems that the holy magic sword isn't very good as a sword.
　It's a holy magic sword.
　According to Curie-san.

''I tried pouring the holy element into it, but all it does is make the crystal and the magic formula glow... nothing happens. I've never used a holy magic sword like this before either. And since you've used it, you can see that the sharpness itself is not very good.

　And so on.
　Hmm, but even if it's rotten, the Holy Demon Sword there must be something to it.
　And I want to believe it.
　Then I come up with an idea.

"That holy magic sword, can you lend it to me for a moment?
It's yours to begin with, and I don't mind that, but what are you going to do?
'I actually know someone who knows a lot of things. Maybe I'll know something about it.
All right. I'll give it to you next time.

　I've got things to do with Clarice-san anyway.
　Let's ask her about that dagger while we're at it.
　She might know something about it.

　After the battle lesson, we went to the dining room for lunch together.

''Come to think of it, 'Demon Eater'.......how should we manage it?''
Hmm?　Can I leave it at your place?　And even if a student who could use the holy element stole it, it would be useless. If you're worried about it, do you want me to keep it for you?
Oh, no I'll manage it. And it's my sword.
"If someone steals it, you can tell Hibigami somehow. He'll chase you to the end of the earth. Well, they'll probably kill the guy who stole it without question.

　Currier-san says it jokingly, but I have a feeling that he really would do it.......
　Rather, I have to take care of the safety of the person who is stealing from me, so I have to take care of them.

　After lunch, the next step is the magic class.
　While I was absentmindedly looking at the grimoire and wondering if everyone would feel the same way I did if I brought the "Demon Eater" here and pulled it out, the class was over before I could even think about the disturbing things I was thinking.

　So, after the lower time report was over and after school.

'I have to meet with the headmaster, so that's it for today.
Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Currier.

　Currier-san's mouth relaxed.

''Somehow we'll be able to continue our school life. I'm grateful to you and the headmaster.''

　She thanked him and walked out of the classroom.

　..........
　Well.
　I look at Cecily's seat, where no one is sitting.
　I knew I should visit the Arkwright family's mansion today.

　I feel like I have a lot more to think about, but there's less for me to do now than I thought.

　Going to check on Cecily-san.
　Visit Clarice.
　And then to gather information about the Holy Ruins.

　And then.
　A female student came into the Lion's Classroom.

''Oh, there it is.

　The schoolgirl recognizes me and walks towards me.

"I need to talk to you for a moment do you have time?
Let's see, today--

　Oh, wait?

...a little bit.
Great. How about the cafeteria?
I understand.
Okay, it's settled.　I'll buy the drinks and stuff, so don't be afraid to ask!
'You're back from the Holy Ruins, Miss Isla.

　Ira-san smiles bitterly.

Hmmm........somehow.

　Gathering information on this year's Holy Ruins is one of the things I should be doing right now.
　It seems that she's been putting a lot of effort into attacking the Holy Ruins lately, so the information she's getting is likely to be useful.
　Then we should see this as an opportunity to ask her about the Holy Ruins.
　Also.........

　--Well, this year, will the Horn family's long-cherished dream of defeating the Arkwright family come true?

　During the mock game, the instructor had mentioned something like that.
　Then he must know something about the Arkwright family that I don't know - about Cecily-san.
　From the words of that instructor, it might not be a very pleasant topic for Ira-san.......
　............
　I'd like to at least ask her how to get to the Arkwright house.
　To be honest, I don't know where it is.

　While thinking about this, Ira-san took me to the diner.

　But what in the world is this all about?